what is a good site to find the worth of a motorcycle? i am rebuilding my 1991 gs 500E and i need to show the state how much a good condition gs is worth so that i can title it. it has no title and to get a bonded one i have to pay them one and a half times its worth to get the title... after three years i get that money back and will have a regular title.

www.  kbb or NADA .com

holy crapola that is a rip off just to get a title.  Why not just buy a frame off the web that has a title with it and swap the parts over?  Save alot of headache it seems?

Well I was going to say that was cool but crazy. Now with that_guy's comment, I would like to say.. that's crazy. Is there any reason to not do what that_guy said?

Quote from: that_guy on January 20, 2006, 12:55:54 AM
holy crapola that is a rip off just to get a title.  Why not just buy a frame off the web that has a title with it and swap the parts over?  Save alot of headache it seems?

Not necessarily.  For example:

BB Value for a 1991 GS500 is $1500.

Tax in Texas for a motorvehicle is 6.25% of the purchase price or of the fair market value if proof of purchase price is not provided.

That means that in his situation, titling the bike would run $93.75, plus I think like $20 worth of administrative fees.

There's no way he could get a clean, straight titled frame bought, shipped and registered for under $120.

I didn't have to pay tax in Illinois when I bought my new bike, just a $25 title transfer fee and I was set (yes, it was instate).  Does that mean I missed some step in there? 

Quote from: SmartDrug on January 20, 2006, 02:38:38 AM
I didn't have to pay tax in Illinois when I bought my new bike, just a $25 title transfer fee and I was set (yes, it was instate). Does that mean I missed some step in there?

did you register it for road-use?  How much did you tell them you paid for it?

Up here in NEW BRUNSWICK  CANADA we have to pay the man 15% of the purchase price and it better be close to the book value or they will call you a liar. [ but not to your face ] You then have pay what they want or go get a dealer to give it the once over [ $ 40.00- $60.00 ] and then it is back to the registration NAZIS to fight and argue some more. We may have free health care but we are taxed to death.

ok maybe you guys could help me out with this than.

my problem was shipping

im buying an engine off of here and my freight  cost alone is worth more than i am paying for the engine. i just assumed a frame would be the same sitch. 

See when you said this: i have to pay them one and a half times its worth to get the title...
I thought you meant 1.5 x $1200 (or total value of bike) = crazy amount to pay.

If you just mean some amount around $100 then yea, thats better.

You could always find a frame local.

I assume you are going through some titling company for a title?

Is that mandatory in  Iowa? You can go to your dmv and request the last guys registration info for a fee I believe..maybe track  them down and get a duplicate (If the bike was titled in Iowa..)

Check your state laws etc on claiming and titling "abandoned" vehicles. Also if you have the last registered  persons  info.... have a friend with a motorcycle/auto shop write up a service ticket for it and file a lien on it.

I would try to track down the last guys info and see if he'd provide you with the title...

Frames can be shipped UPS for maybe 50 - 70$ ( wrap the frame in bubble wrap and cardboard for anything that you might think would get scratched up.)  They don't need to be in a big box... Just armor it up well...

There's also Starwalt's Page:  GS500 online sale average

You can use that info plus Nada and kbb to average out the value...

Quotebetter be close to the book value or they will call you a liar

that is where i say Beso mi Culo.  all my cars and Bikes are 50-100$ when privately bought and sold.  it doesnt matter if i put 2000$ into repairs,replacement/rebuilt engines and transmissions or swaped parts from one frame to another. i paid this much for it or i sold it for this much. they cant prove otherwise.  i dont buy from dealers so thats not an issue.  I buy cheap cuz i can fix it cheap.   I had a lady behind a window tell me there is no way i bought my pickuptruck for $50.00(even though it had a blown headgasket,rotted radiator,bad tires and timingchain) , and that i need a bill of sale.  i said in a now very loud Voice. No Bill of sale is needed by law if a signed VALID Florida TITLE is presented and the proper information is filled out on the form.  And that Her job is to verify the forms are properly completed,signed, and processed as well as collectiong applied state/county/and or city taxes and to make sure its all properly recorded in accordance to state and Federal Laws.   at this time her manager walks up asking what the problem is. i said nothing aslong as she does her job according to the regulations and not calling folks a liar cuz she cant belive the price paid for a vehicle.